Council Tax in the North West 2026/27: All 35 Councils, Highest to Lowest
The 35 billing authorities in the North West average £2,483.22 at Band D for 2026/27 (England: £2,410.97), up 5.0% on average. Liverpool is the dearest at £2,673.59, Wigan the cheapest at £2,152.68. 28 of the 35 apply the second-homes premium.
Every council in the North West, ranked by Band D
Band D is MHCLG’s area council tax for two adults, including the adult social care, county, police, fire and average parish elements. Open a council for all eight bands, its monthly equivalents, and the full empty-home premium schedule.
| # | Council | Type | Band D 2026/27 | Change | Second-home premium | Empty 10+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | Metropolitan district | £2,673.59 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 2 | Pendle | Shire district | £2,640.18 | +4.1% | No | 300% |
| 3 | Stockport | Metropolitan district | £2,618.90 | +5.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 4 | Oldham | Metropolitan district | £2,602.23 | +5.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 5 | Rochdale | Metropolitan district | £2,600.83 | +5.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 6 | Salford | Metropolitan district | £2,594.45 | +5.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 7 | Sefton | Metropolitan district | £2,583.22 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 8 | Preston | Shire district | £2,575.74 | +4.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 9 | Bury | Metropolitan district | £2,555.15 | +5.8% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 10 | Burnley | Shire district | £2,549.42 | +3.8% | No | 300% |
| 11 | Rossendale | Shire district | £2,519.97 | +3.9% | No | 300% |
| 12 | Cheshire West and Chester | Unitary authority | £2,517.33 | +5.2% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 13 | Blackpool | Unitary authority | £2,513.22 | +5.1% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 14 | Cumberland | Unitary authority | £2,511.32 | +4.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 15 | Westmorland and Furness | Unitary authority | £2,507.99 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 16 | Lancaster | Shire district | £2,503.19 | +4.0% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 17 | Wirral | Metropolitan district | £2,500.59 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 18 | Knowsley | Metropolitan district | £2,488.25 | +4.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 19 | Fylde | Shire district | £2,483.94 | +4.0% | No | 300% |
| 20 | Hyndburn | Shire district | £2,465.98 | +3.6% | No | 300% |
| 21 | Wyre | Shire district | £2,460.53 | +4.0% | No | 0% |
| 22 | West Lancashire | Shire district | £2,456.23 | +4.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 23 | Blackburn with Darwen | Unitary authority | £2,455.27 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 24 | Cheshire East | Unitary authority | £2,454.87 | +5.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 25 | Warrington | Unitary authority | £2,447.61 | +7.3% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 26 | Tameside | Metropolitan district | £2,447.21 | +5.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 27 | South Ribble | Shire district | £2,442.66 | +3.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 28 | Chorley | Shire district | £2,430.23 | +3.7% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 29 | St Helens | Metropolitan district | £2,403.38 | +5.0% | Yes — 100% | — |
| 30 | Bolton | Metropolitan district | £2,399.74 | +5.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 31 | Ribble Valley | Shire district | £2,386.50 | +3.8% | No | 0% |
| 32 | Halton | Unitary authority | £2,366.61 | +5.2% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 33 | Manchester | Metropolitan district | £2,312.04 | +5.9% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 34 | Trafford | Metropolitan district | £2,291.70 | +8.0% | Yes — 100% | 300% |
| 35 | Wigan | Metropolitan district | £2,152.68 | +6.0% | Yes — 100% | 0% |
Premiums across the region
28 of the 35 councils billed the second-homes premium in 2025/26 and 34 charge an empty-home premium at some stage. gov.uk: “You can also be charged up to 2 times your normal Council Tax. This is sometimes known as the second homes premium.” Which councils, and at what rate for how long empty, is on the second-home premium tracker; the England-wide Band D table is on council tax rates 2026/27.
Band D and bands A–H: MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (published 25 March 2026, Table 9 area council tax for two adults, including precepts); 2025/26 comparator and % change from the MHCLG live tables. Premiums: MHCLG Council Taxbase 2025 (CTB1 return, revised 21 January 2026) = policy for 2025/26; the 2026/27 return is due around November 2026. Rules quoted from gov.uk (checked 5 September 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Averages and rankings are ours, computed across the 296 billing authorities.
Asked about this council
Liverpool, at £2,673.59 for Band D in 2026/27. The lowest in the region is Wigan at £2,152.68.
The simple average Band D across the region's 35 billing authorities is £2,483.22 for 2026/27, against £2,410.97 across England.
28 of 35 in their 2025/26 returns to MHCLG. Councils decide each year; the 2026/27 return is due around November 2026.